Comments by "51WCDodge" (@51WCDodge) on "Apocrypha: WW1 Tour Sneak Peek" video.

@Groovy_Bruce Yes and no. As a recuriting aid they were considered a god idea. The Britsh Army always had a tradition of County Regiments, if you lived in an area you joined your local regiment. The trouble was when the New Army went in on the 1st July, and the resons why are a whole long argument in itself, the groups were even more localised, factorys , streets ,s o the loss was large in a small area. Lessons were learnt though . In the Great War the Royal Gurnersey Light Infantary fought as a single unit. Starting with 2,280 men, 327 were killed and 667 wounded. Jersey however, did not send enough men in a single group to form one unit so men from the Island were spread through the Royal Irish Rifles and the Hampshire regiment and other services. The result was less men lost. During WW2 men from both Islands formed a Service Regiment, they wer ealowed to transfer to fighting battalins, and keep their cap badge, but not to fight as a single unit.
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@billbolton No, it is a pain in the ass, every one is an 'Expert' and quotes Blackadder! It is a work of comic fiction! I've been lucky enough, and priviliged to dig the ground. Intresting exciting and bloody sobering, all at the same time.
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@TawnyRain2332 Wise move.
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@billbolton Originally the Somme wa sto be part of a concerted effort with the French, and timed 6 weeks later. The German attack at Verdun in February put so much pressure on the French they pleaded with the British to attack and relive some of the pressure. As you say those vital six weeks of training could have made a lot of diffrence.
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@fus132 78 British Generals died in action in the Great War, highest number for any conflict.
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@SafetyProMalta Though due to the South African wars, the British and Empire armies were better equipped and led than the most of the other combatants in 1914. There was no conscription in Britian (ONE small exception , but that's by the by) so the soldiers were proffesional. There was however the Territorial Army, a voluntary force, now amalgamated into the Reserve, that men were encouraged to join. Many did because it gave them a paid holiday on 2 week summer excersiss. These men , and now women, do great service to this day. During the Great War there was resistance to using part time and new recuits from the New Armies. The grounds were justified though. Did these men have the proffesional skill against regulars, and would they help or hinder? Interesting fact: The TA at the time was raised for the defence of Britian, there was no obligation for the men to serve 'Overseas' . Those that did volunter wore a small clasp marke Empire Volunter.
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Why do men go to war? They belived that what they were doing was right.
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@chrisneedham5803 No man's Land group did an excvation of the feild next door some years back- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1860jWey9Q
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Yes, it is a place people live and work. The Newfoundland Memorial has had 100 years of people walking and visiting. There are still places , such as the feild next door, that have been dug by archeologists, they give you a whole diffrent perspective. The argument over what should happen to the Western Front started in 1919, should it be preserved for all time, or is it a living changing landscape? Answer as of 2019? Argument still raging.
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The first time I visted the lines my imprssion was Christ! The whole area is so small, how did they manage to fall over? The camera actually streteches the perspective.
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The Newfoundland Memorial Park is a place of Remeberance. Over the last 101 years there has been a lot of landscape work done on the area. The feilds next to it however, and the Ulster Wood nearby were relitivly untouched. Excavations by the No Man's Land group were done next to the Newfoundland Park, the result is here on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1860jWey9Q
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Till they go bang. If you see somthing metallic In Flander's Feilds, walk away quickly and steadily. Qusetion : Which country has the highest stocks of Chemical Weapons? Belgium! and they are still being found. It is estimated there is another hundred years or so to clear all unexpolded munitions.
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Funny then that the German cemitires are few, small and multi burials. The locals did not want the bodies of the Occupiers left on thier soil. So much for Chritain forgiveness.
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No a lot of the bodies are still there. That opens up a whole new can of worms of Human depravity. Those who raid the sites where remains are found to plunder artifacts. You kill the man twice, removal of such things destroys any hope of indentifying them.
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Haig and Rawlinson didn't have much choice. Verdun was hammering the French,. The original plan had been for an August offensive, in conjuction with the French . The Enemy got in the way. The French, who were don't forget, the ultimate commanders of the Allies on the Western Front, the reson being, it was thier country, put a lot of military and political pressure on the British and Empire forces to attack immideatly and take the pressure off the French. The German's didn't get it all there own way, they reffered it as the (And I can't remeebr the German of fhand) as the Munitions Offensive due to the pre attack bombardment.
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That would be the French then. They were the Commander in Chief of the Wesern Front, it was thier country after all.
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@futuresonex Neither Haig nor Rawlinson wanted the attack of the Somme. The original plan wa sfor a joint attack with the French 6 weeks later, to allow for training. The German attack on Verdun meant the French applied pressure to attack to relive the pressure on them.
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@rogerjohnson8707 Why always imply the Entente Gerneral's were at fault? The Triple Alliance also ha dit's share of idiots and bad decisions.
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@christianhoffmann8607 Often the simple is the answer. I did my time in the RN, and have had the privilige of talking to vetrans of the Second world war. I know in my case it was part adventure, and doing exciting things. but if someone threatens you and yours, or you truly belive that you and yours are under threat, regardles of how that threat is presented, you fight for yours because it is right.
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@christophernewman5027 And there you have the conflict that still dogs the Western Front, and started in 1919. Is it an area sacred to the memory of those who died, or just were we live and want to make an income from the tourist's?
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How far back do you want to go! :-) Every bunch through history seem to have fought in the Belgium / Somme region. Hence Vaubin's Playground and the Cockpit of Europe, designations. Belgium was originally formed as a Neutral Country with the idea of stopping it.
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